Carton



Feb. 3, 1970 A. COTE 3,493,103

' CARTON Filed April 1, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1 -y .O

INVENTOR RAYMOND A COTE BY %W4%/%M ATTORNEYS R. A. COTE Feb. 3, 1970 CARTON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1 1968 FIG. 9

INVENTOR RAYMOND A. COTE BY /M/Q/ M ATTORNEYS Unite States Patent 3,493,103 CARTON Raymond A. Cote, Doraville, Ga., assignor to Riegel Paper Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 1, 1968, Ser. No. 717,657

Int. Cl. B65d /50, 25/07 US. Cl. 20645.14 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE serted therebetween. The upper end of the carton is obliquely truncated to provide a triangularly prismatic well in which the fragile, elongated tip of the bulb is protected and displayed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the packaging of decorative light bulbs, such as socalled flame-shaped bulbs having unique configurations including tapered, elongated peaks, several important considerations pertain. Owing to the extremely fragile nature of the bulbs, the selected carton must be strong and must provide sufficient protection to withstand rough handling without damage to the bulb. However, since an important function of the bulbs involves their unique appearance, i.e., decorative property, the selected carton must provide substantial display of the bulb, especially the peak, without adversely compromising carton strength. Additionally, it is desirable that the overall configuration of the selected carton, itself, should be such as to increase the sales appeal of the packaged bulb. A further criterion in the selection of a suitable carton is the ease and safety with which a fragile decorative bulb may be reliably packaged therein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The aforementioned criteria-for an acceptable carton for fragile articles such as decorative light bulbs having elongated peaks are met by the new and improved carton of the present invention. Specifically, the carton of the present invention incorporates a construction, which provides unusually great product display in an especially attractive carton, while at the same time providing maximum cushioning and a safe support for the fragile contents.

Specifically, and in accordance with the inventive principles, the new carton is erected from a collapsed tube formed from an appropriately cut and scored, one-piece paperboard blank. When squared, the tube defines an openbottomed sleeve which includes a new and improved bulb supporting structure, the erection of which provides a wraparound window extending across the front wall and into each of the side walls of the sleeve. More specifically, intermediate front and side wall portions are folded inwardly from the planes of the carton walls to form a bellows-suspended, canted platform, which platform has an aperture for engaging the base of a bulb. The peak of the flame-shaped light bulb is supported within an aperture in an upper platform which is oppositely canted and is bellows-suspended from the top of the tubular sleeve. As an important aspect of the invention, the upper platform defines a wall of a triangularly prismatic display well, located at the upper end of the obliquely truncated sleeve.

In accordance with the inventive principles, the bellows-suspended platforms are comparatively resilient and may be easily displaced to facilitate insertion of a light bulb therebetween. However, and as an important aspect of the invention, after the bulb is properly set in the carton, the upper platform is locked against. further displacement by a locking panel which is articulated to the upper rear edge of the sleeve.

For a more complete understanding of the invention and its attendant advantages, reference should be made to the following detailed description and to the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a one-piece blank from which the carton of the invention may be formed;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a squared carton tube embodying the principles of the invention;

FIGS. 36 are perspective views of the carton of FIG. 2 illustrating the sequence and the details of the formation of the new and improved bulb supporting structure; and

FIGS. 7-9 are enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional views sequentially showing details of the formation of the new display well embodying the inventive principles.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG. 1, a one-piece paperboard blank 10, from which the carton of the invention is subsequently formed, includes a glue flap 11, a rear wall panel 12, a first side wall panel 13, a front wall panel 14 having lower and upper portions 14a, 14b, and a second side wall panel 15 consecutively articulated along longitudinally extending vertical parallel score lines 1619, respectively. The wall panels are of equal width; however, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, the rear wall panel 12,bounded by a horizontal score line: 20 at its upper edges, is significantly longer than the front wall panel 14, bounded by a parallel horizontal score line 21 at its upper edge. As shown, the upper edges of the side wall panels 13, 15 are oblique and are defined in part by score lines 23. When erected, the wall panels 12-15 provide the finished carton with an obliquely truncated appearance (FIG. 6).

The resilient supporting structure for the base of a fragile article to be packaged, e.g., a decorative light bulb having an elongated tip, is generally similar to that shown in United States Patent No. 3,282,410, and includes a lower platform panel 24 of full carton width and of a length greater than the depth of the carton. The platform 24 is hinged to the lower front wall panel 14a along an arcuate score line 25 and has a lower platform flap 26 articulated thereto along a line of weakness 27. A pair of resilient bellows structures 28, comprising panels 29, 30, connect the rearmost edges of the platform to the side wall panels. More specifically, the bellows panels 29 are articulated to the side walls along score lines 31 and to the bellows panels 30 along score lines 32. The bellows panels 30 are articulated] to the platform panel 24 along vertical score lines 33. As shown, the score lines 31-33 converge at the lower corners of the panel 24. To facilitate erection of the carton, the lower edges of the bellows panels are terminated above the lower corners of the panel 24, as shown.

" In accordance with the invention, an upper platform panel 38 of full carton width and greater than full carton depth is articulated along score line 21 to the upper edge of the front Wall 14. An upper platform flap 39 is articulated to the panel 38 along a line of Weakness comprising score lines 40 and a central shallow U-shaped cut 41. As will be understood, an open locking slot 74 is established along the edge of the panel 38 when the flap 39 is folded during carton erection.

In accordance with the invention, a pair of bellows structures 42 connects the rearmost side edges of the platform panel 38 defined by score lines 46 to the rearmost upper edges 23 of the side walls. More specifically, the bellows structures 42 comprise three bellows panels 4345 (although two may be sufficient in certain applications) which are interconnected by lines of weakness 47, 48 defined by cuts and score lines. As shown and in a manner similar to the lower bellows structures 28, the score lines 23, 46 and lines of weakness 47, 48 converge at the front corners of the platform panel 38. Likewise, the included angles between the score lines 23, 46 and between the score lines 31, 33 are less than 90. The front edges of the bellows panels terminate above those corners to facilitate folding during carton erection.

In accordance with the invention, an auxiliary upper platform panel 50 is hinged to the upper platform panel 38 along score line 21. The auxiliary panel 50 is approximately the same length as the upper platform 38 and is separated from upper front wall portions 14b by arcuate cuts 51 which extend into the side wall panels to define the upper edges of a wrap-around display window 52 (FIG. 4). As will be understood, upper portions of the window 52 are formed by stripping cutouts 53 from the blank 10.

In addition to the two cutouts 53, seven other cutouts are removed from the blank. They include three circular cutouts definitive of bulb engaging apertures 55, 56, 57 in the lower platform, the upper platform, and the auxiliary platform, respectively, and four triangular cutouts 58 located adjacent the bellows structures.

In accordance with the inventive principles, the blank also includes a locking panel 60 having a locking tab 61 formed along its leading edge. The panel 60 may include a score line 62 to facilitate its bending during the insertion of the locking tab 61 into the locking slot 74, as will be described more fully hereinafter.

The carton 70 (FIG. 6) of the present invention may be simply and expeditiously erected by first forming a flat tube by adhering the glue flap 11 by adhesive 71 or other suitable means to the free edge of the side wall to form conventionally a flattened carton tube. This operation, of course, requires the folding of the carton blank 10 along at least two of the longitudinal score lines 16-19. As will be understood, the so-formed flattened or collapsed tube may be economically stored in a minimum of space for later erection and filling.

Completion of the new and improved carton of the invention may be simply effected by first squaring the carton tube, as shown in FIG. 2, to form an open tubular sleeve 72 of square cross section. Thereafter, the lower platform panel 24 may be placed in its operative bulben'gaging position by pivoting it inwardly of the carton along the hinge less than 90 to suspend it from the side walls by means of the reversible bellows structures 28 (FIG. 3). As shown, the lower platform 24 is of a length greater than the depth of the carton, as defined by the widths of the side walls 13, 15, and, therefore, will bear against the rear wall 12 in a normal, canted position along the line of weakness 27, while the lower platform flap 26 will assume a free, face-to-face contacting relation with the rear wall 12. In accordance with the teachings of United States Patent No. 3,282,410, the geometry of the bellows structures 28 is predetermined to ensure that they are resilient and not fully expanded when the platform panel 24 is in the erected position of FIG. 3. Therefore, the bellows structures 28 may be further expanded to accommodate slight deflections of the platform panel 24, and they will possess sufficient resilience to cushion the supported bulb.

The new and improved top structure of the carton is formed by initially pivoting the upper platform 38 more than about the hinge 21. The platform 38 will freely swing downwardly and inwardly of the tubular sleeve until its rear edge 40 abuts the wall 12, as shown in FIG. 3. In this condition, the platform 38 will be oppositely canted with respect to the platform 24 and will be suspended by the substantially fully expanded bellows structures 42. Upward displacement of the platform 38 and its associated flap 39, which will assume a free face-toface contacting relation with the rear wall, will be freely accommodated at this stage of carton erection by a partial collapsing of the bellows structures 42, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7.

Thereafter, the auxiliary platform panel 50 is folded inwardly into a back-to-back, substantially registered relation with the upper platform 38 and the elongated tip of the decorative light bulb B is inserted through the registered apertures 56, 57 and the base of the bulb is inserted into the aperture 55. As an important aspect of the invention, the oppositely canted platforms are sufficiently resilient to accommodate with ease and safety the insertion of a bulb of greater length than the actual spacing between the apertures 55, 57 of the erected platforms. Thus the upper platform 38, with the bulb tip extending therethrough, may be temporarily moved upwardly of the sleeve to accommodate the manipulation of the base of the bulb into the aperture 55. After the base is in place, the resilience of the bellows structures 42 will tend to return the upper platform 38 to a lower position in the sleeve and to urge the bulb downwardly in opposition to the upward resilient urging of the bulb by the bellows-suspended lower platform 24.

The bulb B is thereafter securely and safely held in place, and the carton erection is completed by folding the locking panel 60 into locking relation with the rear wall 12 and locking slot 74, as shown in FIGS. 7-9. Safe clearance of the panel 60 past the bulb tip is ensured by bending the panel along score line 62, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 8. Flattening of the panel 60 (FIG. 9) tends to extend substantially fully the upper bellows structures and tends to limit the upward displacement of the upper platform, as should be understood. In the finished package, substantial cushioning and shock absorption for the bulb is provided by the oppositely canted, bellows-suspended paltforms 24, 38, as will be appreciated.

As an important aspect of the invention, the erection and locking of the upper platform 38 establishes a triangularly prismatic display well-75 which is substantially of two-ply construction throughout. As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 9, the uniquely shaped well 75 affords significantly increased display of the tip of the bulb in comparison with a square top sleeve. Moreover, the rigidity and two-ply construction afford substantial protection for the bulb tip which is recessed beneath the edges of the walls. As a further aspect of the invention, a row of the cartons of the present invention may be readily suspended from a single horizontal display hook, if desired, merely by providing suitable aligned hang holes 73 above the tip of the bulb in the rear wall 12 and locking panel 60, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9.

It will be appreciated that the new and improved carton of the invention provides many advantageous features in a relatively simple, but highly eflicient, one-piece construction. Specifically, through the utilization of oppositely canted platforms hinged to the front wall of a tubular sleeve and suspended by bellows structures from the side walls, a carton having both a substantial area of display, in the form of a wrap-around window, and an increased resistance to crushing may be economically provided. Additionally, the provision of a two-ply triangularly prismatic display well at the top of the carton enhances the display of the peak of the bulb without unduly compromising the protection thereof.

While the present invention has been representatively described in terms of a'specific, preferred embodiment especially well suited for packaging flame-shaped light bulbs, it is to be understood that certain variations and modifications thereof, within the scope of the inventive principles, will be apparent to those skilled in the art for packaging fragile articles of other shapes. For example, the upper portions of the front wall, triangular webs 141), may be completely eliminated by having the arcuate cuts 51 terminate at the uppermost corners of the-carton front defined by the intersections of the vertical score lines 18, 19 with the horizontal score line 21. In this embodiment, the upper edge of the auxiliary panel 50 will be equal in width to and coincident with the forward edge of the platform panel 38. Additionally, the upper cutouts 58 may be eliminated, extending the bellows structures 42 to the uppermost front corners of the carton. In this case andlike the above-described embodiment, the score line 21 will define the entire uppermost front edge of the carton.

I claim:

1. A display carton for a fragile article erected from a one-piece paperboard blank, comprising (a) a rectangular tubular sleeve having consecutively articulated rear, first side, front, and second side walls;

(b) said front wall having intermediate full width portions folded inwardly therefrom defining a window;

(c) said side walls having edge portions adjacent said intermediate front wall portions removed therefrom to extend said window into said side walls;

(d) said intermediate full width portions being hinged to said front wall and including a first platform panel of greater than full carton depth bearing against said rear wall for limited movement relative thereto;

(c) said side wall edge portions including first bellows portions hinged between opposite sides of said platform panel and said side walls, and limiting the extent of hinging displacement of said platform to a predetermined canted relation with respect to said rear wall;

(f) said platform panel defining a first article-engaging aperture therein;

(g) a second platform panel of greater than full carton depth defining a second article-engaging aperture therein articulated to the upper edge of said front wall;

(h) second bellows portions hinged between the upper edges of said side walls and the side edges of said second platform panel and suspending said second platform in a predetermined oppositely canted relation to said rear wall;

(i) a locking flap articulated to the upper edge of said rear wall and engaging said second platform panel to tend to limit the upward displacement of said second platform panel;

(j) whereby said second platform cooperates with said carton side walls and rear wall to define a triangularly prismatic display well at the upper end of said carton.

2. The display carton of claim 1, in which (a) said rear wall is substantially longer than said front wall.

3. The display carton of claim 2, in which (a) said rear wall and said locking flap define registered apertures disposed above the upper edge of the front wall.

4. The display carton of claim 1 which further includes (a) an auxiliary platform panel derived from said intermediate front wall portions and articulated to said second platform panel along the front edge thereof;

(b) said auxiliary platform panel defining a third article-engaging aperture which is adapted to register with said second aperture when said auxiliary platform panel is folded in a back-to-back relation with said second platform panel.

5. In a rectangularly tubular sleeve having four consecutively articulated walls, a triangularly prismatic display well comprising (a) a platform panel articulated to the upper edge of one of said walls;

(b) said platform panel defining an article-engaging aperture therein;

(c) reversible bellows panels connecting the side edges of said platform panel to the upper edges of the immediately adjacent carton walls and suspending said platform panel within said sleeve in a canted relation with the remaining one of said walls;

(d) a platform flap articulated to the rearrnost edge of said platform panel and bearing against said remaining wall;

(e) said platform flap and said platform panel defining a locking slot therebetween;

(f) a locking flap including a locking tab at the free edge thereof articulated to the upper edge of said remaining wall; and

(g) said locking tab cooperating with said locking slot to maintain said bellows-suspended platform panel in a predetermined canted position.

6. The sleeve of claim 5, which includes (a) article-engaging means in spaced relation to said platform panel.

7. The sleeve of claim 6, in which (a) said article-engaging means comprises an additional apertured platform panel derived from intermediate portions of said one wall and its immediately adjacent walls.

8. In a rectangularly tubular sleeve having four consecutively articulated front, side, and back walls, a triangularly prismatic display well comprising (a) a platform panel of greater than sleeve depth articulated to the upper edge of the front wall;

(b) said platform panel defining a display article-engaging aperture therein;

(c) reversible bellows panels connecting the side edges of said platform panel to the upper edges of the side walls and suspending said platform panel within said sleeve in a rearward and downward canted relation with the back wall; and

(d) a resilient platform in the lower portion of the sleeve for engaging the lower end of a display article.

9. The sleeve of claim 8, which includes (a) a locking flap articulated to the upper edge of the back wall; and

(b) said locking flap cooperating with said bellowssuspended platform panel to maintain said panel in a predetermined canted position.

10. The sleeve of claim 8, which includes (a) a platform flap articulated to the rearrnost edge of said platform panel and bearing against said remaining wall;

(b) said platform flap and said platform panel defiining a locking slot therebetween; and

(c) a locking tab at the free edge of said locking flap for engagement with said locking slot.

11. In a rectangularly tubular sleeve having four consecutively articulated front, side, and back walls, a triangularly prismatic display well comprising (a) a platform panel having a forward edge definitive of the upper front edge of the sleeve;

(b) said platform panel defining a display article-engaging apert ure therein; I

(c) reversible bellows panels connecting the side edges of said platform panel to the upper edges of the side walls and suspending said platform panel within said sleeve in a canted relation with the back wall;

(d) said bellows panels overlying the inner surfaces of the side walls to form a double thickness side wall structure of said wall;

(e) an auxiliary panel formed by an uppermost portion of the front wall and articulated to the platform panel along the forward edge thereof;

1 (f) said auxiliary panel being foldable upwardly against the platform panel to form a double thickness bottom wall structure of said well; and

(g) a locking flap foldable downwardly from the upper edge of the back wall to form therewith a double thickness back wall structure of said wall.

12. The sleeve of claim 11, in which '(a) said locking fiap includes a locking tab at the free edge thereof; and

(b) said locking tab cooperates with a locking slot in said platform panel to maintain said bellows-sus pended platform panel in a predetermined canted position.

13. The sleeve of claim 12, which includes (a) article-engaging means in spaced relation to said platform panel;

(b) said article-engaging means comprising an additional apertured platform panel derived from intermediate portions of said front wall and adjacent side walls.

14. The sleeve of claim 11, in which (a) said back wall is substantially longer than said front wall;

(b) said back wall and said locking flap define registered apertures disposed above the upper edge of said front wall.

15. A display package including a light bulb having an elongated peak or the like and a display carton therefor erected from a one-piece paperboard blank, comprising (a) an open bottom tubular sleeve having consecutively articulated rear, first side, front and second side walls;

(b) said front wall being divided into spaced upper and lower portions;

(c) a first platform panel hinged to said lower front wall portion and defining a first aperture therein; (d) first bellows means formed in each of said side walls and being connected with edge portions of said lower platform panel;

(e) said lower platform panel and said lower bellows means being folded inwardly of said sleeve to define a window extending across the width of said carton and into said side walls;

(f) edge portions of said aperture supportingly engaging lower portions of said bulb;

(g) a second platform panel of greater than full carton depth defining a second article-engaging aperture therein articulated to the upper edge of said front wall;

(h) second'bellows portions hinged between the upper edges of said sidewalls and the side edges of said second platform panel and suspending said second platform in a predetermined oppositely'canted relation to said rear wall;

(i) a locking flap articulated to the upper edge of said rear wall and engaging said second platform panel to tendto limit the upward displacement of said second platform panel;

(j) said elongated light bulb peak projecting through said second aperture and upper portions of said bulb being supportingly engaged by edge portions of said second aperture;

(k) whereby said second platform cooperates with said carton side walls and rear wall to define a triangularly prismatic well at the upper end of said carton in which the peak of said light bulb is displayed and protected.

16. The display package of claim 15, in which (a) said rear Wall is substantially longer than said front wall.

17. The display package of claim 16, in which (a) said rear wall and said locking flap define registered apertures disposed above the upper edge of the front wall.

18. The display package of claim 15, which further includes (a) an auxiliary platform panel derived from said front wall portions and articulated to said second platform panel along the front edges thereof;

(b) said auxiliary platform panel defining a third article-engaging aperture which is adapted to register with said second aperture when said auxiliary platform panel is folded in a back-to-back relation with said second platform panel; and

(c) edge portions of said third aperture supportingly engaging upper portions of said bulb.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,321,473 6/1943 Ferguson 20645.19 2,338,567 1/1944 Barron 248-174 2,654,470 10/1953 Borucki 2'0645.14 3,282,410 11/1966 Cote 20645.14 3,334,732 8/1967 Haffey et al. 20644 FOREIGN PATENTS 712,915 8/1954 Great Britain.

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, 111., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

